Department for Transport

Driving under Influence: Scotland

earl attlee: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received any validated statistics from the Scottish Government relating to the impact of the reduction of the drink driving limit in Scotland on 5 December 2014; and if so, what account they have taken of those statistics in assessing the appropriate level of the drink driving limit in England and Wales.

baroness sugg: Statistics on road safety in Great Britain are based on data from various sources, including accidents reported to the police via the Stats19 system. This includes data from Police Scotland. The Department for Transport publishes an annual statistical release providing estimates on accidents involving drinking and driving in Great Britain. The Government would welcome a robust and comprehensive evaluation of the road safety impacts resulting from the change to the Scottish drink drive limit.

Midland Main Railway Line: Rolling Stock

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the replacement carriages on the Midland Mainline Sheffield to London route will be new rolling stock or refurbished rolling stock; and if the latter (1) what model of train will they be, and (2) how old the carriageswill be.

baroness sugg: All options for rail services in the next East Midlands franchise are subject to analysis of the potential benefits and our consultation with stakeholders, which closed in October 2017.The next operator will be required to deliver modern, fast and efficient intercity trains for services on the Midland Main Line. For long-distance journeys, we will reduce journey times between Sheffield and London by up to 20 minutes in the peak and there will be a brand new fleet of bi-mode trains. By contrast, under previous plans we would not have been able to run new electric trains to Sheffield until at least the start of 2024 when the infrastructure might have been delivered.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Carillion: Insolvency

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what supportthey are providingto small business suppliers affected by the collapse of Carillion.

lord henley: My rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has established the Carillion Taskforce, to advise on the impact on small businesses and employees affected by Carillion insolvency. The Taskforce’s attendees included representatives from leading business bodies, the construction trade sector, unions, banks and government. This has already led to useful collaborations, in particular in relation to ensuring firms and employees have access to support from Government and the banks.   In addition, the Secretary of State and my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Small Business met with leading business and construction trade bodies, representing Carillion’s sub-contractors, to understand the impact of Carillion’s insolvency on the supply chain, and agree actions that could be taken to mitigate this. They will continue to meet regularly these organisations regularly. Following my rt. hon. Friend’s meeting with the banks, they made public commitments to provide support to SMEs affected and are contacting customers and, where appropriate, are putting in place emergency measures, including overdraft extensions, payment holidays and fee waivers to ensure those facing short term issues can be helped to stay on track. Details of these can be found at the UK Finance website.The Government also announced that through the British Business Bank, it will make available support of up to £100m to small businesses, through their delivery partners, using the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG); enabling lenders to extend credit to SMEs which, while viable, may have insufficient security to secure other credit lines to support their businesses at this time. Through this collaboration the UK government and the banks can continue to support small businesses with the appropriate financeMy rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to all accredited EFG lenders to draw their attention to this additional support and expects them to ensure that they are actively engaging with SME businesses so they can give them the support they need. Accredited EFG lenders are listed on the British Business Bank website.BEIS is providing a range of advice and support services for firms, delivered both nationally and locally available to SMEs affected by the insolvency of Carillion. These include a network of 38 Local Growth Hubs, run in conjunction with the Local Enterprise Partnership, to help businesses of all sizes and in all sectors to access support.HMRC are also helping businesses facing genuine difficulty paying their tax bills through the Business Payment Support Service (BPSS) by offering a range of practical advice and guidance. Information is published online by the Insolvency Service for employees, creditors and suppliers affected and seeking advice. In addition to providing current information, they provide a dedicated hotline for enquiries and contact numbers to other relevant organisations such as the Pensions Advisory Service, and the website PwC have been established to provide information. These can be found on the Government website.

Carillion: Insolvency

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional resources they will provide the Office of the Small Business Commissioner to support small business suppliers affected by the collapse of Carillion.

lord henley: The Office of the Small Business Commissioner is sufficiently resourced for its current operation. This will be kept under review as the organisation continues to establish itself. The issues surrounding the collapse of Carillion continue to be at the forefront of the Commissioner’s mind in his discussions with business, in his role in encouraging a culture change in payment practices. Moreover, the Government has already moved quickly to put in place support to small business suppliers affected by this insolvency event and is working with the banks to ensure that firms have access to advice and support. We have set up a Taskforce made up of representatives from the construction sector, small business bodies, trade unions, banks and government including the Small Business Commissioner. This has produced a number of useful outcomes. The Banks have made provision for nearly £1bn of support to those affected, including £600m from Barclays, £100m from HSBC, and £75m from both Santander and the Royal Bank of Scotland and £50m from Lloyds Bank. The Government has also announced that it will make available through the British Business Bank support of up to £100 million to small businesses, through their delivery partners, via the Enterprise Finance Guarantee. HMRC are also helping businesses facing genuine difficulty paying their tax bills through the Business Payment Support Service (BPSS) by offering a range of practical advice and guidance.

Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

baroness featherstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to lay the non-domestic renewable heat incentives regulations before Parliament.

lord henley: The Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme Regulations 2018 were laid in Parliament on 19 March 2018.

Digital Technology

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have madeof the impact ofadvances in digital technologies on wage levels as skilled work turns into unskilled labour due to the assistance of new technologies.

lord henley: The Government recognises the opportunities and challenges that automation and advances in digital technologies can bring to the UK labour market. In Matthew Taylor’s review into Modern Working Practices he stated that history has shown that technological advancements and the automation of individual tasks can lead to job creation. In the Government response to Matthew Taylor’s review, we set out our Good Work plan to ensure the labour market is resilient enough to respond to the changes that automation may bring. Our Industrial Strategy will help employers adjust and grasp opportunities from automation to drive productivity and boost peoples’ earnings.  



Taylor Review
(PDF Document, 3.75 MB)




Govt response to Taylor Review
(PDF Document, 1.44 MB)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Nigeria: Violence

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 26 March (HL Deb, col 614), what is their assessment of the religious composition of the Fulani herdsmen militias in Nigeria, and of whether Christians form part of those militias.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: There has been no reliable census on ethnic religious affiliation in Nigeria. The Fulani ethnic group are predominantly but not exclusively Muslim; it is thought that some follow traditional or other religions.

Commonwealth: LGBT People

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to press members of the Commonwealth to abolish laws which discriminate against the LGBT community.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: In her speech to the Commonwealth Forums on 17 April the Prime Minister set out the UK's readiness to support any member state wanting to reform outdated legislation that makes discrimination on the grounds of gender identity or sexual orientation possible. The Prime Minister was clear that while we must respect one another's cultures and traditions, we must do so in a manner consistent with our common value of equality, a value that is clearly stated in the Commonwealth Charter. The Foreign Secretary and other FCO Ministers discussed LGBT rights with a range of Foreign Ministers during the week of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.During the same week, we announced a £5.6 million programme working with civil society groups to support countries wishing to work towards legislative reform, and published an International Best Practice Guide to Equality on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity which highlights promising steps taken by countries in all regions of the world to protect and support LGBT people, including positive policy and practice that often set the groundwork for decriminalisation and amending legislation.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they will take following the killing of unarmed demonstrators during recent protests in Gaza.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Minister for the Middle East, and I, have raised the use of force during the protests with the Israeli authorities, in particular the use of live ammunition which is of very deep concern. It is plain that Hamas and their operatives have been exploiting these protests for their own benefit, and we have been clear that Israel has the right to secure itself against Hamas and other terrorist groups. We continue to urge Israel to show restraint and the Palestinian leadership to ensure the protests are peaceful. There is a need to establish the facts, including why such a volume of live fire has been used and secondly what role Hamas has played in escalating and inciting violence. Given the importance of accountability, we are supportive of an independent and transparent investigation. We therefore welcome Israel's commitment to investigate the conduct of operations, and would urge that its findings be made public and if wrongdoing is found, that those responsible be held to account.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they will take followingreports that members of the press in Gaza were either targeted by Israeli snipers or that shooting was indiscriminate, during recent protests.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of reports that the Israeli Defense Forces shot two journalists identified as Yasser Murtaja and Ahmed Abu Hassin, who were wearing PRESS identification. We continue to urge Israel to show restraint and the Palestinian leadership to ensure the protests are peaceful. Given the importance of accountability, we are supportive of an independent and transparent investigation. We therefore welcome Israel's commitment to investigate the conduct of operations, and would urge that its findings be made public and if wrongdoing is found, that those responsible be held to account.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israelregarding reports that 15 year old Hamed al-Masri was shotin the head by an Israeli Defence Force soldier.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Whilst we have not raised this specific issue, we continue to raise concerns with the Israeli authorities about the Israel Defense Forces' use of live fire. We urge all sides to show maximum constraints and prevent further loss of life.

Turkey: Prisoners

lord balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to make representations to the government of Turkey regarding the continued detention of (1) Seyran Demir, a young female prisoner with leukaemia, and (2) Sise Bingol, a seriously ill 78 year old woman imprisoned for "willingly helping a terrorist organisation".

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of the cases of Seyran Demir and Sise Bingol. We regularly engage with the Government of Turkey over the human rights situation in the country. We consistently urge Turkey to uphold the rights of all its citizens, including those in detention, in line with its domestic responsibilities and international obligations. We will continue to engage with Turkey on these important issues.

Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to help secure the implementation of the recommendations of the Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic published on 6 March.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK believes that those responsible for violations of international law and human rights abuses in Syria should be held to account, and we strongly support the work of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria .On 23 March the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution, presented by the UK, welcoming the work of the UN Commission of Inquiry and renewing its mandate for another year. On 25 April, at the Brussels II Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region, the UK co-hosted a ministerial event on accountability to strengthen cooperation between national, international and Syrian actors involved in the fight against impunity.

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assurances, if any, they have received from the government of Saudi Arabia that, in response to the statement by the UN Security Council of 15 March 2016, that government will negotiate directly with Houthi leaders in Yemen without preconditions and in a way that ensures the participation of women and other under-represented groups at all levels of society.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: A negotiated political settlement through inclusive intra-Yemeni dialogue is the only way to end the Yemeni conflict and address the ongoing humanitarian crisis, and we continue to work with all our Yemeni, regional and international partners in support of this goal. As the 15 March UN Security Council Presidential Statement made clear, this will require the full involvement of women and other under-represented groups to ensure that the process goes beyond politics and reflects the aspirations of all Yemenis.The imperative of reaching a political solution to the conflict in Yemen was agreed in the Joint Declaration by the UK and Saudi Arabia during the visit of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia in March. The Joint Declaration expressed the UK's and Saudi Arabia's strong support for the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, and our resolve to work together closely to achieve a political solution.

Yemen: Armed Conflict

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that there is monitoring of the situation in Yemen by the UN Security Council; and whether they intend to seek Security Council agreement of substantive resolutions and statements on the situation in Yemen, including references to the conduct of Saudi Arabia.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UN Security Council continues to receive regular updates regarding the situation on Yemen. Both the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, and the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, briefed the Security Council on 17 April. We will continue to use our role as penholder on Yemen at the UN Security Council to address the humanitarian crisis and support progress towards a political resolution of the conflict. In March this year, the UK proposed and coordinated a UN Security Council Presidential Statement (PRST). The PRST builds upon the text agreed on 15 June 2017, also sponsored and coordinated by the UK, by expressing deep concern about the humanitarian situation in Yemen; calling for the parties to agree steps towards a ceasefire; welcoming the new UN Special Envoy for Yemen, and calling for a vaccination programme and unhindered humanitarian access. We will continue to work with our Yemeni, regional and international partners to ensure that words are converted into action.

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action, if any, they are pursuing to table a UN Security Council resolution which gives substance to the statement on Yemen of 15 March 2016, in particular that the parties to the conflict should enter peace talks without preconditions.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government keeps under consideration whether a new UN resolution would support progress towards a political settlement in Yemen. Given the lack of agreement between the parties to the conflict at present, we judge that following the UN Security Council Presidential statement proposed by the UK in March, the best opportunity for progress comes through the appointment of Martin Griffiths as the new UN Special Envoy for Yemen. We encourage the parties to return to negotiations without pre-conditions and participate constructively in the UN-led political process.

Crimes against Humanity

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what strategy they are developing to promote the prevention of atrocity crimes; and how that strategy relates to Yemen.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government's approach to preventing mass atrocities is rooted firmly in our wider conflict prevention and peacebuilding activity. This begins with actively looking out for signs of countries at risk of instability, to reduce the risks of violence, promote good governance, support the rule of law, building inclusive societies, and enabling effective judicial and security sector reform. We aim to foster environments where atrocity crimes are less likely to take place.In Yemen we play a leading role in support of UN-led efforts political resolution of the conflict. We are also supporting a range of conflict prevention and peacebuilding activities through the Conflict Stability and Security Fund (with £7 million budget this financial year for Yemen). We take very seriously allegations of any violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) by actors in the conflict in Yemen, and call upon all parties to abide by their obligations under IHL. We regularly raise the importance of compliance with IHL with the Saudi-led Coalition in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they are making of the continued provision of arms to Saudi Arabia following the announcement by other European countries of restrictions on the provision of such support; and what estimate they have made of the number of civilian deaths that have been caused by arms supplied from the UK.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government takes its arms export licensing responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of all relevant factors at the time of the application. The key test for our continued arms exports to Saudi Arabia in relation to International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is whether there is a clear risk that those items subject to the licence might be used in a serious violation of IHL. The situation is kept under careful and continual review.We do not maintain records of casualty figures for the conflict in Yemen. Gathering data is extremely challenging considering the complexities of the situation and the challenges faced by humanitarian monitors across the country. Estimates by the UN and non-govermental organisations vary considerably.

UN High-level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament

baroness miller of chilthorne domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 22 March (HL6202), whether they have now made a decision on whether to attend the 2018 UN High-Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​It remains hard to say at this stage whether the UN High Level Conference will lead to effective progress on nuclear disarmament. We are therefore planning to send a representative to attend the Organisational meeting of this Conference, with the aim of establishing a clearer view about the High Level Conference's aims and objectives. However the organisational meeting has been postponed once and it remains unclear if it, or the conference itself, will in fact take place in May.We will take a considered approach to attendance of the High Level Conference, as and when the organisational aims become clear.

Syria: Military Intervention

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk of escalating international conflict as a result of the recent air strikes against Syria by the US, France and UK in response to the chemical attack on Douma.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The military action taken by the UK, alongside the US and France, was proportionate and targeted. It was a strictly limited operation designed to degrade the capacity and deter the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime in order to alleviate humanitarian suffering. We have not sought escalation against Syria, Russia, or any other country and have communicated clearly the proportionate and targeted aims of this action.

Syria: Military Intervention

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks of worsening relations with Russia as a result of UK military action in Syria.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The military action by the UK, US, and France in Syria was a discrete action to degrade and deter the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian Regime – in a way that does not escalate tension in the region. We are communicating clearly the proportionate and targeted nature of this action, and underlining that we are not seeking escalation against Russia. We call on Russia to work with the international community to address the threat from chemical weapons.

Gaza: Israel

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 3 April (HC133854), what action they will take to protect the civilian population of Gaza against further violations of international law.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​I remain deeply concerned about the deaths and injuries suffered during recent protests in Gaza. I have urged Israel to show restraint, and the Palestinians to ensure that future protests are peaceful. We call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation. We press the parties to refrain from actions which make peace more difficult.

West Bank: Travel Restrictions

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations, if any, they are making to the government of Israel concerning reports that 18 Palestinians from the West Bank were recently prevented from travelling abroad via the al-Karameh crossing for “security reasons”.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, though we do remain deeply concerned about restrictions on freedom of movement within the West Bank.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations, if any, they are making to the government of Israel concerning reports that money was confiscated from Yasmin Eshtayyeh, a civil society worker, by the Israeli authorities without any right of appeal.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not had any discussions with the Israeli authorities on this specific issue.

Syria: Chemical Weapons

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the current holdings of banned chemical agents by the Assad regime; and whether they have held any discussions with the government of Russia concerning the accuracy of those estimates.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is responsible for verifying Syria's Declaration and destruction of its chemical weapons programme under the Chemical Weapons Convention. Four years after Syria’s accession to the Convention, the Director General reported “gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies remain” in the Declaration, and an absence of credible evidence to account for quantities of agent Syria possessed, the type of agent and the munitions used for delivery. The OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism has also confirmed Syrian regime use of chemical weapons four times since its accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2013. This is a flagrant breach of the convention. Syria’s retention of a chemical weapons capability cannot be in doubt.  The UK has been active in highlighting the importance of action at the OPCW, at the UN and more widely to put an end to the possession and use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime and building international consensus to that end, engaging Russia accordingly both bilaterally and in key multilateral fora.

Armed Conflict: Sexual Offences

baroness helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is their policy to include sexual violence in the designation criteria for UN sanctions, as recommended in the report of the UN Secretary-General on conflict-related sexual violence published on 23 March;and what representations ministers will make to the UN Security Council in this regard.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK has pushed for strong language on sexual and gender based violence in recent UN resolutions. Where appropriate, we will seek to include sexual and gender based violence in sanctions designation criteria more widely. The designation criteria for sanctions regimes are specific to each circumstance and situation. Where there is widespread and/or systematic cases of sexual and gender based violence, sanctions designation criterion can be used to address its perpetrators. Examples of such are found in UN sanctions regimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. Preventing sexual violence, plays a critical part in achieving peace, stability and security in any country and it is vital that we continue explore the use of sanctions to achieve this goal. Ministers will continue to engage with the UN Security Council on this issue and will make efforts to ensure that it remains a high priority.

St Helena: Tortoises

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to authorise and commission the removal of cataracts from Jonathan, the oldest giant tortoise in the world who lives in the grounds of the residence of the Governor of St Helena, in order to increase the population of giant tortoises on the Island and improve prospects for tourism to the Island.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: St Helena’s most famous resident, Jonathan the tortoise, is looked after by the island vet who ensures a high-standard of care to the world’s oldest terrestrial animal. After much deliberation on the island, the vet decided removing Jonathan’s cataracts was too high-risk a procedure. I reassure the noble Lord that despite being over 186 years old, Jonathan continues to lead an active life. The climate on St Helena, while perfect for diving and mountain walking, is not conducive to breeding this species of tortoise. The commencement of weekly flights to St Helena from South Africa is a welcome boost to St Helena’s tourism industry, and will allow even more people to meet this much loved member of the St Helena community.

Commonwealth: International Cooperation

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will encourage further cooperation between Commonwealth nations.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK is the Commonwealth Chair in Office for a two-year period until the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2020. As Chair in Office, the UK will play an active role in working with member states, the Commonwealth Secretariat and other Commonwealth organisations in implementing the policy commitments made at the London Heads of Government Meeting on 19-20 April.

Department of Health and Social Care

Junior Doctors: Working Hours

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many junior doctors have chosen to opt out of the Working Time Regulations through provisions included in their contracts.

lord o'shaughnessy: This information is not held centrally by the Department and is a matter for individual National Health Service trusts. The provisions of the new 2016 contract for doctors and dentists in training include contractual limits on working hours that go beyond those in the Working Time Regulations. Where a junior doctor voluntarily chooses to opt out of the Working Time Regulations average weekly limit of 48 hours, the contract provides that hours are restricted to a maximum average of 56 hours per week, across all or any organisations with whom the doctor is contracted to work or otherwise chooses to work. A doctor opting out of the Working Time Regulations weekly hours limit is still bound by all of the other limits set out in the Regulations and in the contract. Doctors who choose to opt out must give written notice to their employer. The contract requires that records of such agreements must be kept and be made available to relevant recognised unions and appropriate regulators on request.

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, intheir review of Regulation 5, the Fit and Proper Persons Regulation of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014,they intend toinvestigate the circumstances of the dismissal of Dr Vivienne Lyfar-Cisse by the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust for alleged breach of that regulation.

lord o'shaughnessy: Following Dr Bill Kirkup’s recent review of Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust the Government has accepted the report’s recommendation to undertake a review of the Fit and Proper Persons Requirement.The Minister of State for Health (Stephen Barclay MP) set out the aims of the review in his statement in response to Dr Kirkup’s report. The review will examine the operation and purpose of the Fit and Proper Persons Requirement; it is not aimed at investigating individual cases.

Mental Health Services

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to replace the phrase "medically unexplained symptoms" in the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme guidance if the World Health Organization decides it will no longer use this term; and if so, what terminology will be used instead.

lord o'shaughnessy: NHS England advises that, should the World Health Organization replace the phrase “medically unexplained symptoms” with an alternative phrase, it would make an assessment at that time as to whether, when and how to implement any change. Currently NHS England has not been made aware of any intended change to the current phrase by the World Health Organization.

Hepatitis

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the latest NHS England estimates of the total number of people infected with the Hepatitis C virus within each Operational Delivery Network.

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the latest estimates of the number of people diagnosed as infected with Hepatitis C in each of the last three years, broken down by Operational Delivery Network; and how many of those people have received treatment, broken down by Operational Delivery Network.

lord o'shaughnessy: The information on infection rates is not available in the format requested. Most recent estimates suggest that around 160,000 people in England are living with chronic hepatitis C infection, of which a substantial proportion are thought to be undiagnosed or diagnosed but not engaged in specialist care. We do not currently have these figures broken down by Operational Delivery Network (ODN) but Public Health England is preparing updated estimates of hepatitis C prevalence and disease burden at the sub-national level, due to be published in 2018. Over the past three years ODNs have delivered the following number of hepatitis C treatments.Number of hepatitis C treatments by ODNODN2015/162016/172017/18North East and Cumbria250395620Greater Manchester and Eastern Cheshire521687845Cheshire and Merseyside252347585South Yorkshire212340438Humberside and North Yorkshire112377329West Yorkshire328445584Lancashire and South Cumbria134330343Leicester133255265Birmingham518748742Nottingham268383470Eastern Hepatitis Network333586706West London554562757North Central London Viral Hepatitis Network421730865Barts299494667South Thames Hepatitis Network5578701,068Surrey Hepatitis Services91154174Sussex Hepatology Network165241274Thames Valley221347425Wessex270341412Bristol and Severn203326419South West Peninsula189328394Kent Network via Kings-154175 Note: Kent Network was not active in 2015/16 hence no treatments were recorded.

NHS: Virgin Care

lord stunell: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they gave to the tax status of Virgin Care when awarding that company preferred contractor status with the NHS last year.

lord stunell: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in assessing business and ethical risks when selecting private sector contractors such as Virgin Care for public service contacts, what weight they give to a company's tax structure and payments record.

lord o'shaughnessy: ‘Preferred contractor status’ is not a recognised procurement term. Private sector companies bidding for individual National Health Service contracts have to follow a well-established procurement process which identifies and selects a shortlist of bidders and then a preferred bidder, which is awarded the contract after final due diligence. NHS England have advised that information on NHS contracts entered into by local commissioners is not held centrally.It will be for the individual NHS organisations to assess the finances of any potential providers. During the procurement process, the finances of potential providers should be tested by finance professionals to assess the financial stability and ability to undertake the services to the required level of the contract. The Department recommends the use of a Standard Selection Questionnaire (first published in September 2016). Under the ‘Grounds for Mandatory Exclusion’, it states that the procuring authority reserves the right to use its discretion to exclude a provider where it can demonstrate by any appropriate means that the provider is in breach of its obligations relating to the non-payment of taxes or social security contributions.After a contract is awarded to a provider the NHS organisation is under an obligation to oversee the delivery of services and assuming there are no concerns then the contractor will be paid as agreed under the contract. How the contractor manages their financial affairs is a matter for the contractor not the NHS commissioner, unless the commissioner becomes aware that the contractor is acting illegally, not paying taxes as an example, in which case there may be a duty to report this and act appropriately under the terms of the contract.

Contraceptives

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many,and (2) what percentage of, GPs inEngland opt out of providing contraceptive services to their registered patients.

lord o'shaughnessy: As at 31 March 2018, there were three practices (0.04%) that had opted out of providing contraceptive services. The current general practitioner contract allows practices to opt out of providing contraceptive services to their registered patients. Where they do so, NHS England has responsibility for ensuring patients of those practices have access to such services.

HIV Infection: Females

lord black of brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number ofwomen in England who are accessing HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis.

lord o'shaughnessy: Interim Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Impact trial analysis, including reported gender of participants, will be available in winter 2018/19.No information is available on the number and gender of individuals accessing PrEP privately or purchasing generic PrEP from outside the country.

HIV Infection: Females

lord black of brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what actionthey are taking to tackle the late diagnosis of women infected with HIV in England.

lord black of brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to increase access to HIV prevention interventions for women in England.

lord o'shaughnessy: In order to reduce late diagnosis of HIV in women, NHS England is currently considering how it can address stigma, implementation of peer support and mental health in its HIV services and will take these recommendations for women into account.Public Health England’s report HIV Testing in England: 2017 report highlights public health interventions that conduct and promote HIV testing in women, including the offer and uptake of antenatal testing for HIV to all pregnant women and to women attending sexual health clinics as well as through community and on-line testing services. A copy of HIV Testing in England: 2017 report is attached. Women are included as a target audience in both national and local HIV prevention campaigns and media campaigns that promote a variety of HIV prevention options that target most at-risk populations which include men who have sex with men, black African women and men as well as women and men from other black and minority ethnic communities with a high or increasing burden of HIV. The HIV Prevention Innovation Fund, organised by Public Health England, is open to voluntary sector organisations offering novel HIV prevention activities. Of the 12 projects funded in 2017/18, nine were inclusive of women. 



HIV Testing in England 2017
(PDF Document, 852.07 KB)

Dental Services: Pupils

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans toensure thatregular dental checks are carried out on children in school.

lord o'shaughnessy: There are no plans to introduce regular dental checks on children in school. The United Kingdom National Screening Committee advised in 2006 that population screening for dental disease in children aged six to nine years should be discontinued as it was ineffective; a review in 2013 upheld this recommendation. NHS England commissions National Health Service dental services and free NHS dental treatment is available for children under 18 and under 19 in full time education.

Mental Health Services: Gambling

lord chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans are in place to increase the provision of services for gambling addiction, in particular in connection with mental health services.

lord o'shaughnessy: Any decisions on the commissioning of effective treatment services are the responsibility of local commissioners, based on an assessment of local need. NHS Choices offers information on a range of services to problem gamblers including those provided by GamCare, the Gordon Moody Association and Gamblers Anonymous. Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust has a national problem gambling clinic which accepts referrals from all over the United Kingdom including those with mental health problems. Problem gambling can cause physical and mental health problems, including anxiety disorders and depression. The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme began in 2008 and has transformed treatment of adult anxiety disorders and depression in England. Over 900,000 people now access IAPT services each year and the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health has pledged to expand services further to see a further one million more people treated for mental health problems every year by 2020 alongside improving quality. Although problem gambling is not listed amongst the provisional diagnosis categories that IAPT treats, IAPT practitioners would be able to treat common mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety which problem gamblers may present with.

Department for Education

Department for Education: Databases

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of the Department for Education's data is hosted (1) in the UK, and (2) overseas.

lord agnew of oulton: The amount of data hosted in the UK in the department’s on-premises’ datacentres is estimated to be approximately 60%. The amount of data hosted overseas in Microsoft Azure datacentres in the European Economic Area is estimated to be approximately 40%. We have included the operating systems and back up data in these estimates, which are based on the best information available at this time.

Ministry of Justice

Solicitors: Vacancies

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take in response to data published by the Law Society in April, which shows a growing shortage of criminal law solicitors.

lord keen of elie: Last year £860 million was spent on criminal legal aid so that those who most need legal support are able to get it. The Government is clear that there are sufficient solicitors to undertake criminal legal aid-funded cases and will make sure this continues to be the case. The Legal Aid Agency monitors capacity across criminal legal aid contracts on a regular basis and takes action to ensure there is ongoing availability of criminal legal advice for the public. The engagement phase of the post-implementation review of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 has begun. We are gathering evidence from the legal professions to inform our analysis of the effects of the changes made by and under LASPO and how we can best move forward given the changes to the justice system since 2012.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Databases

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of theMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's data is hosted (1) in the UK, and (2) overseas.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: All of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government data servers are located in the UK.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Waste Management

lord teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Environment Agency can use income from its permitting activities in the waste sector to pursue and bring to prosecution illegal waste operators.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Environment Agency (EA) currently spends around £15 million a year on waste enforcement and tackling waste crime. This is funded through Grant in Aid and the Landfill Communities Fund. An independent review of waste crime in 2014, commissioned by the Environment Services Association Education Trust, found that for every £1 they spend on waste crime, £5 is generated for the economy from their enforcement effort, including for HM Treasury in tax revenue. Under rules for managing public money, the EA cannot use income generated from charges, including that from waste permits, on enforcement or waste crime activities. However, the EA is currently developing proposals for a further review of its charges which will explore options for changes to charging rules, which could allow for the use of permit income to tackle waste crime in the future.

Waste Management

lord teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that legitimate businesses in the waste sector are not undermined by illegal operators with a lower cost base.

lord gardiner of kimble: Since 2014 we have given the Environment Agency an additional £60 million for waste crime enforcement work up to 2022, including £30 million in last year’s November budget. We have also given new powers to the Environment Agency to help them take stronger action more quickly against problem sites, including the ability to lock up sites and force rogue operators to clean up all waste. We recently consulted on tightening up the waste permitting and exemptions regime to curb the rise of waste sites that cause problems for local communities, and operate outside the law. The consultation closed on 26 March and we are considering the responses. We will set out our strategic approach to waste crime, including next steps, in our Resources and Waste Strategy later this year.

Fly-tipping: Prosecutions

lord teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many waste businesses or sole traders were prosecuted for illegal waste tipping offences in England in (1) 2016, and (2) 2017.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Environment Agency (EA) prosecuted (1) 47 waste businesses or sole traders in 2016 and (2) 39 waste businesses or sole traders in 2017. Successful prosecutions resulted in sentences including, for example, a 122 month total combined jail sentence, a 90 month sentence, and a £1 million fine. The EA leads on large scale waste crime. Local authorities lead on smaller incidents and may have taken additional prosecution action against illegal operators.

Waste Management

lord teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total Environment Agency expenditure on pursuing and bringing to prosecution illegal waste operators in (1) 2016, and (2) 2017.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Environment Agency (EA) collates expenditure data by financial year rather than calendar year. For both 2015-16 and 2016-17 spend on waste crime enforcement was estimated at £14.8 million per year. Data is not yet available for 2017-18. This funding comes through Grant in Aid and the Landfill Communities Fund. The EA’s success in tackling waste crime led to an additional £30 million of funding over the next four years, announced in the Autumn 2017 budget. This will increase funding allocated to waste crime enforcement by approximately £5 million per year in 2018-19 and 2019-20, and by approximately £10 million per year in 2020-21 and 2021-22.

Home Office

Deportation: Caribbean

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of children of the Windrush generation that might face the threat of deportation to the West Indies.

baroness williams of trafford: Since 1973 many of the Windrush generation would have obtained documentation confirming their status or would have applied for citizenship and then a British passport.The former Home Secretary has put additional safeguards in place to ensure that no-one from the Windrush Generation will be subject to enforcement action, regardless of whether they have documentation or not.

Anthony Bryan

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, followingthe report in The Guardian on 15 April that Anthony Bryan spent three weeks in immigration removal centres and over £3,000 in legal fees before it was agreed that he was here legally, whether they intend toapologise to him and reimburse his expenses.

baroness williams of trafford: We apologise unreservedly for the distress caused to anyone who has been told, incorrectly, that they do not have the right to be in the UK.We are not aware of any specific cases of a person being removed from the UK in these circumstances and we have absolutely no intention of asking anyone to leave who continues to have the right to remain here.The former Home Secretary announced to Parliament on 23/04/2018 that she will set up a new scheme to deliver compensation to individuals affected. This will be run by an independent person. Further details will be announced in the coming weeks.

Immigrants: Caribbean

lord boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement bythe Earl of Courtown on 16 April (HL Deb, col 1012), what proposals they have (1) to return the fees already paid by members of the Windrush generation, and (2) to compensate those who were denied benefits, employment or services to which they would otherwise have been entitled and for any losses amassed as a result of decisions taken previously by Home Office officials, in their determinations of the applications by members of the Windrush generation to clarify their status as British subjects lawfully resident in the UK.

baroness williams of trafford: The former Home Secretary announced to Parliament on 23/04/2018 that she would set up a new scheme to deliver compensation to individuals affected. This will be run by an independent person. Further details will be announced in the coming weeks by the new Home Secretary.

Immigration

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the recent uncertainty over the immigration status of the Windrush generation will not be repeated in relation to other people who have come to the UK legally and have indefinite leave to remain.

baroness williams of trafford: If an individual came to the UK legally and has indefinite leave to remain, they have already regularised their position and should have relevant documentation needed to prove that. If they haven't, we will assist them to do so.

Immigrants: Caribbean

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent the deportation of the Windrush generation.

baroness williams of trafford: Additional safeguards have been in place to ensure that no-one from the Windrush Generation will be subject to enforcement action, regardless of whether they have documentation or not.

Immigrants: Caribbean

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any of the Windrush generation have been deported; and if so, what steps they will take regarding those cases.

baroness williams of trafford: No specific cases of people being removed from the UK under these circumstances have come to light so far.If anyone believes that they, or a family member, have been, they should contact the Home Office, by telephone on 0800 678 1925 or by emailing commonwealthtaskforce@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk. The Home Office will review any cases that are brought to its attention.

Cabinet Office

Regulation: Finance

lord teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government which regulators in (1) the UK, and (2) England, are fully funded by the industries or sectors that they regulate and receive no grant in aid from their sponsoring departments for those regulatory activities.

lord young of cookham: The following list includes bodies with non-devolved regulatory functions which received no Grant in Aid in 2016-17. It is based on information available to the Cabinet Office, and may not be comprehensive. In particular it does not include bodies whose regulatory activities are fully funded by the sectors they regulate, but which receive grants for non-regulatory activities.Animals in Science Regulation Unit;Architects’ Registration Board;Assay Offices;British Hallmarking Council;Claims Management Regulation Unit;Commissioners of Irish Lights;Companies’ House;Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency;Financial Conduct Authority;Financial Reporting Council;Gambling Commission;Groceries Code Adjudicator;Intellectual Property Office;Land Registry;Legal Services Board;Northern Lighthouse Board;Office for Nuclear Regulation;Office of Rail and Road;Office of the Public Guardian;OFWAT;Oil and Gas Authority;Prudential Regulation Authority;Security Industry Authority;Trinity House;Vehicle Certification Agency.

Undocumented Migrants

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what wasthe membership of the Cabinet sub-Committee that discussed the hostile environment policy for illegal immigrants; and what conclusions that sub-Committeecame to onthe likely impact of that policy.

lord young of cookham: Information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees, including when and how often they meet, is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion. A full list of the Cabinet Committees and Implementation Task Forces, with their membership and terms of reference, can be found on the Cabinet Office's webpage attached.  



Cabinet Committees and Implementation Taskforces
(PDF Document, 196.03 KB)

Department for International Trade

Department for International Trade: Databases

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of the Department for International Trade's data is hosted (1) in the UK, and (2) overseas.

baroness fairhead: The Department for International Trade estimates that by volume approximately 80% of its primary data is hosted in the UK, and 20% overseas.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Databases

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport’s data is hosted (1) in the UK, and (2) overseas.

lord ashton of hyde: Approximately 20% of data is hosted exclusively in the UK. Approximately 80% is hosted on cloud services distributed across data centres in the UK and abroad.

Email

lord smith of finsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to safeguard the use by UK citizens of .eu email addresses after the UK's departure from the EU.

lord ashton of hyde: We aim to ensure that the interests of UK citizens and businesses who have registered .eu domain names are taken into account when the UK withdraws from the EU.

Gaming Machines

lord chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to announce the reduced stake for category B2gaming machines, known asfixed odds betting terminals.

lord chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish the key responses to the gambling consultation which was launched on 31 October 2017.

lord ashton of hyde: The Government’s consultation on proposals for changes to gaming machines and social responsibility measures closed on 23 January. The Government is currently analysing the responses to the consultation and its response will be published in due course. The Government intends to publish the key responses to the consultation, subject to the respondents’ permission.

Fin7

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any UK companies or customers have been affected by data breaches or malware attacks linked to hacking group Fin7.

lord ashton of hyde: The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has been alerted to incidents affecting companies, across a range of sectors in the UK, and which are judged to be a result of malicious cyber activity by the ‘Fin7’ group. Cyber Incident Response companies have since engaged with these firms. To date, government does not hold any information to confirm any significant data loss from these companies as a result of these incidents. The NCSC’s weekly threat report, published on the NCSC website, highlighted activity by Fin7 in February and May 2017.